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Oxfordshire man charged with illegal sale of sperm whale teeth – Oxford Mail
Dec
A man from Grove has been charged in connection with the illegal importation and sale of sperm whale teeth.
Tevita Lavaki, 50, of Mayfield Avenue, will appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (June 29) in connection with wildlife crime offences between August and September last year.
He is charged with four counts of acquiring, offering, keeping, and selling the teeth of sperm whales.
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In September 2022, Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Task Force seized £18,350 worth of whale teeth from an address in Grove which was believed to be the largest seizure of sperm whale teeth in the UK.
The endangered species is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972.
It is illegal to sell whale teeth without a permit.
A single sperm whale tooth can sell for more than £50 depending on its size, weight and condition.
Lavaki was charged by postal requisition on June 14 following an investigation by Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Taskforce.
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